Apparatus for raising liquids



Dec. 31, 1929. Q. was 1,741,571

APPARATUS FOR RAISING LIQUIDS Filed 00-1,. 18, 1926 Ewen/Z01".- Wan/M065 15/6 Patented 'Dec. 31', 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES Q. IVES, OI STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO BROWN COMPANY. OF

I BERLIN, NEW HAMIPSHIR'E, A CORPORATION OF MAINE APPARATUS FOR RAISING LIQUIDS Application filed October 18, 1926. Serial No. 142,172.

This invention relates to valveless pumps of the type described in the patent to Browne, No. 1,154,745, issued September 28, 1915, by which slugs of a fluid are lifted by a difference of pressures at the supply and discharge ends to a height greater than that to which such pressure difference could raise a solid column of the fluid, the slugs of each fluid being well defined and of substantially uniform length. An object of the invention is to provide a slug-forming chamber of such a shape as to enable the pump to work more efiectively than the simple U-tube shown in the patent. The advantageous features of my device will appear more fully in the following description and on the drawing, of which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a certain type of installation of the pump.

Figure 2 is a plan of the slug-forming member which constitutes an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the slugforming member taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are horizontal sections taken on the lines 44, 55, 6-6, 77 and 88 of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 3, the slug-forming member consists of a hollow shell 10 enclosing a chamber having a lower bowl-like portion 11 and an upper portion which is divided into two branches 12, 13, by a batlle or a dam 14 which extends downwardly from the top of the shell 10. A port '15 opens downwardly through the bottom of theshell from the lower portion of the chamber 11 and in the top of the shell, ports 16, 17 open respectively from the branches 12, 13 of the upper portion of the chamber. The dam 14 may be extended downwardly as far as desired. As shown in Figure 3, it extends slightly below the midpoint of the chamber and terminates in a head 18 which extends horizontally across the chamber from one side to the other and may be substantially cylindrical as shown. The lower extremity 19 of the dam 14 is thus in a horizontal line extending across the chamber. The branch 13 is preferably formed to have a volume substantially equal to the lower portion 11 of the chamber. As will be seen from the sections indicated in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7, the cross sectional area of this branch diminishes upwardly so that a Venturi efl'ect is thus produced.

The principle of operation of this pump is identical with that described inthe patent to Browne above mentioned and may be briefly stated as follows:

Taking, for example, air and water as the fluids used, air is admitted through the port 16 and flows around the dam 14 and upwardly through the eduction port 17. During this flow of air, water rises through the port 15 and fills the lower portion 11 of the interior of the member 10. When the level of the water reaches the lower extremity 19 of the dam 14 the flow of air from the branch 12 into the branch 13 is sealed oil by the water. In the operation of the pump, the average pressure maintained at the port 16 is slightly greater than that at the port 15, the pressures at both these ports being considerably greater than that at 17. Hence when the air flow is sealed ofl by the water, the downward pressure of the air through the port 16 and the i v sure type of installation. In Figure 1 the former is illustrated diagrammatically. The slug-forming member 10 is placed so that the level of the liquid to be raised is slightly below the extremity 19 of the dam 14, which may be called the sealing line. The port 15 may open directly into the body of the liquid to be raised but for purposes of regulation I prefer to connect therewith a suitable gate valve 20 to control the flow of liquid. The port 16 may be left open to the atmosphere or may beconnected with a regulating gate raisin any fluid by the use of a lighter fluid,

'provi ed the two are practically immiscible,

inmost cases the apparatus will be used to raise a liquid of some kind with air. For the purpose of sim licity in describingthe apparatus, the two uids are herein referred to as water and air, although it is to be understood that the apparatus is adapted for use with various other kinds of fluids.

- 1 Connected to the port 17 is an eductor pipe 22 which leads up in as vertical a direction as possible to a suitable discharge tank 23. The action of the member is to cause the formation of alternate slugs of water and air at-the lower end of the eductor pipe'22.

- These slugs under-proper operating conditravel upwardly through the air and water are disc arged into the tank tions maintain their identity duringtheir pipe. As the 23, they separate, the water falling into the bottom of the tank and the air rising to the top and passing around suitable bafile plates 24 to a suction pipe 25 which leads to a suitable vacuum pump. The water which is discharged into the tank 23 passes downwardly through a pipe 26 to a water seal, 27

whence it is discharged through a pipe 28. The ipe 26 must be long enough to provide a cient head of water to counteract the vacuum produced in the chamber 23 by the vacuum pump.

The introduction of the valve 20 on the intake line does not detract from the advantages-of the valveless.pum' since this can be and preferably is a rugge gate valve, the

only function of which is to regulate the rate of flow of water into the member 10; By regulating the flow through the intake pipe in coniunction with the flow of air through the va vs 21, a maximum dischar e of water through the pump may easily be 0 tained for any given working conditions. B selecting just the right size of intake pipe or a given installation, the valve 20 could be dispensed with, but even'wlth its use there is no working used in a pressure installation in which the j eductor pipe 22 dischar es to the atmosphere,

- The member part to move during the operation of the ump which can be caught open or clogged y sediment or the like to interfere with the operation oi the pump.

The slug-forming imember 10 may be also whereas a pressure higher than atmosphere is supplied through the port 16 and the water to beraised is supplied throu h the port 15, preferably by a suitable hea at a pressure only slightly below that of the air supply. 10 formed as described and i 'lustrated has proven to be considerably more 'efiective in operation than the U-bend shown in the Browne patent, this difference of effectiveness being considerably more marked in the vacuum installation as shown in Figure lltlian in the pressure installation.

'tivel thin wall in a orizontally disposedenlarged head por-- upper portion through opening chamber and from the top of the two branches tional area,

struction oi the member; 10 which may ac- 2 count for its superior action is the straight horizontal lower extremity of the dam 19 which-results in a more'rapid sealin 05 of the air flow from the branch 12 to the ranch 13 when the level of the water rises to the level of the extremity 19. The enlar ed capacity of the lower portion 11 of the c amber also provides a greater body of water quickly available for the formation of the slug in the eductor pipe. When the rise of water in the chamber 11 seals oil the air entering through the port 16, a greater portion of the water in the chamber 11 is at once swept up into the branch 13 which isof substantially the same capacity as that of the chamber 11. By reasons of its diminishing cross section, the slug of water received therein increases in velocity as it travels upwardly into the eductor pipe 22. The combined efi'ects of the quick sealing oil of the descending air in the branch 12 and the comparatively large departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended 01811118,

I claim:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a hollow, normally upright shell enclosing a chamber, and a transverse dam within the shell extending downwardly from the top thereof, said dam comprising a comparaterminating at its lower end tion extending from one side of said chamber to the other, said dam also dividing the of said chamber into two separate branches, said-shell having ports therefrom the bottom of said thereof.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a hollow normally upright shell, and

a transverse dam extending downwardly .within said shell from the top thereof, said shell enclosing a chamber having alower portion and two upwardly extending ranches separated by said dam, one of said branches having a .volume substantially equal to that ofthe lower portion of the chamber, and having an upwardly decreasing cross secsaid shell having ports therethrough opening from the bottom of said chamber and from the top of the two branches thereof.

invention, it should be evident to those 3. A device ofthe class described, comprising a member having a. chamber therein, and a dam extending downwardly into said chamber from the top thereof dividing the upper portion thereof into two separate branches, one of said branches having a volume substantially equal to that of the lower portion of said chamber below said dam and an up Wardly decreasing cross sectional area, said dam terminating at its lower end in a rounded horizontal portion extending across said' chamber, said member also being provided with ports opening out from the lower end of the chamber and from the top 01": each branch of the upper portion.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a hollow, normally upright shell enclosin a bowl-like chamber in its lower portion, said shell having a transverse dam extendin downwardly from the upper end thereof an forming with said shell two passa es immediately above said chamber, said am being formed at its lower extremity with a horizontally disposed cylindrical bead, said shell also being provided with ports communicating with said passages through the upper end thereof and with said chamber through the lower end thereof.

In testimony whereof I have afllxed my signature CHARLES Q. IVES. 

